Bitter Medicine
by Voraline
Summary: Japan 2153, in a world where the techonological advance has corrupted everything, Sasuke is forced to make desperate decisions in order to save his life. When Itachi apperas in front of him, he's faced with yet another deadly choice. (ItaSasu, yaoi, rating might change later.)
1. Chapter 1

**AU:** Hello everyone! It's me, again, with a new story that I just fell in love with, therefore this will be my main priority from now on! Please look forward to the next chapters!

Also, lots of love to my amazing beta, **Kaline Reine**, who was kind enough to spend an entire night helping me! She's a great writer and if you haven't read her stories yet, you definitely should!

**WARNING**: This contains yaoi and incest! If you are against any of those please don't read further!

Everyone else, please enjoy and** review**!

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**Prologue: Cast out**

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On the outside, we were and always would have been the typical brothers that hated each other. We followed the pattern; we were doing everything just as the book said. We hated each other and ended up taking two completely different roads in life.

He was the outlaw, the one hunted by justice, the criminal and the murderer. He allied himself with those forsaken by society and never looked back to the normal people who could not fuel his ambitions or arouse his interest.

On the other hand, I was the one that came to lay justice upon people like him. I was one of those who'd go to extreme lengths for what they believed to be right, even if it meant losing myself in the process.

I was everything he was not, and he hated everything that I clinged to in order to stay sane. Or so it seemed, because in truth the two of us were just the same. Screw the whole scenario with the siblings that fight against each other, who have completely different beliefs and weapons; no, we were not at all like that.

It was paradoxical, really, how the path that I chose made me sacrifice so many things, turned me into someone else, while the path he chose did not seem to affect him in the slightest. I had to step all over the justice I held so dear so many times in order to protect it, that in the end I was not myself anymore. In the end, I was more like him than me and that thought ate at my very soul.

We were the same.

Although we hated each other, saw the world differently and wanted different things, we were the same... Nothing about us was right, and the sins we bore were countless, yet in the end, I was the only one who had to sacrifice anything, because he had always wished for that; he deliberately chose his sins, embraced them, longed for them. I never wished for such a life, yet in the end, I did not know what else to do, I knew no other way of living… or dying. My very existence now orbited around the very own injustice of being and there was no way to change it anymore, so I just lived with it.

**Chapter 1: Cruel justice, bitter sacrifice**

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_Laws control the lesser man. Right conduct controls the greater one._

The words kept repeating themselves, over and over, in his head; there was no escape, he knew it already, but what seemed right a second ago was now wrong and worthless.

Was it really wise? Was it really for the greater good? Laws are just something made up by humans, to contain the harmful instincts of other lower human beings; they change with time and perception, but so does the word "right". He had always believed that he was being led by a sense of justice and righteousness, but just like the law, such values also faded with time.

What was once immoral becomes the normal; something dully accepted by society, and something that was once moral develops to become a taboo. Nothing was absolute, not even justice, so why should his justice be the one true justice?

He had sacrificed his life for it, but now he could not convince himself anymore that he was completely right. The seed of uncertainty was growing in his head and he could feel himself slipping away. He could not afford to slip away; not now...

He looked around, studying his surroundings, trying to cease away the feelings that were overwhelming him. The building was rather abnormal in that day and age. On the outside, it looked normal, but once you entered it, the ruins of the former place looked like a graveyard for concrete walls. An old flat, a building for refugees that they were raiding.

People like the residents of that place were a taboo in their society, something no one wanted to approve of, yet something no one wanted to deal with. So here they were, getting rid of them. It was, in fact, really low of them, but Sasuke knew he had no choice but to obey the given orders, no matter how absurd they were. That's why someone from the special unit like him was scanning the place for homeless, unregistered people.

As he went up the stairs, he felt bad for the ones he was going after this time. It was not enough to stop him from completing his job, but he did not approve of it nonetheless. They were not his usual type of prey; they were not a threat. They were simply not lucky enough to be born in a decent environment, so they were trying their best to survive in another way. He knew why people like them did that. Facilities that dealt with such cases were at best horrible, and they'd rather live in old, destroyed buildings than go there. They were nothing more than an eyesore for people who'd occasionally spot them outside, trying to find something to eat, because in truth they would never even dare to look at a registered citizen out of fear of being found out and taken to a care facility.

They did not have to worry anymore, he thought. They were going to be killed, that was what he had been ordered. The system was merciless to those who refused it and as nonsensical as it was, those innocent people were given the same treatment as the real criminals.

He finally saw them in a corner, gathered together, elders and children, trying to comfort each other in the coldness of the rain that was pouring in from the cracked ceiling.

He aimed at the smallest child, trying to stop his suffering first, but just one second before he pulled the trigger, his heart stopped. The crying expression of the man holding the child terrified him, and although it would have been virtually impossible for them to see Sasuke, he was pretty sure that man knew he was there.

He killed them all.

* * *

The world is a cruel place, merciless to those who can not be accepted by the shallow perception of other human beings. The majority declares what is right or wrong and those that cannot comply with their beliefs end up being cast away, judged and sentenced to a life of moral imprisonment.

In such a world, the truth of his existence and his secrets had to be locked away; he lived his life lying to normal people, yet hypocritically telling the truth to the ones in control, who wished nothing more than to attach strings to him and use him as a puppet; such was the world he was living in.

"What are you still doing here? I was told that everyone was taken out and we can leave." His team mate said, walking up the stairs to see Sasuke leaning on the wall near a pile of corpses.

"Indeed they were. I will stay here some more." He answered, and the other man simply left the room, not saying another word.

The blood was making its way to his feet, and each time he looked at their terrified faces, he could see tears still wet on their cold cheeks. This could not have been right, he was slowly falling lower and lower, all for the sake of keeping his golden shackles.

"Is this the justice you seek so dearly?" A deep voice echoed in the hollow room, freezing Sasuke's blood and making his hair stand.

As much as he hated to admit it, _it was not_.

"Yes, it is. The law is to be applied to everyone, why should we care for those who break it? Do they care about us?" He answered coldly; he would not admit anything to him, not to _him_.

"You and I both know those people were not a threat to society. You killed that little child for justice? Hah, don't make me laugh."

Suddenly, as if materializing from the cold rain, he was in front of Sasuke, fixating him with his inexpressive eyes, stripping him of the walls that shielded his secrets. His face was a mask with no expression, framed by the two scars beneath his eyes. As if to protect his last trace of dignity, the raven haired man smirked at the one in front of him, trying to push away his stare.

"Who are you to judge me or my ways? What I do is right." _It is not_. "And just as you made your choice, I made mine, this is what I want." _It is not._

His mind was running rampant with thoughts that did not match his words, but he hoped that he could not see through his lies; although he could.

"You are such an obvious liar, little brother." He said and laughed, a bitter ironical laughter that bit deep into Sasuke's conscience.

His brother could see right through him.

"Itachi, do you wish to die so much?" he said, pointing the gun he held in his hand at his brother.

His sibling simply shrugged, smiling and inviting him to pull the trigger.

"You can't shoot me."

"I can." _I can't._ "I will."_ I won't._

His hands started shaking, cold sweat running down his spine. He was cold, he was terrified. He could not kill the man in front of him, as much as he wanted to; he was still unable to pull the trigger. Oh, how many times he had imagined this, standing in front of him, aiming at him and making him pay, but this was not right.

He couldn't have killed him right then and there; it was not right. Not after he had just admitted to himself that his brother was in fact right, because if he was right, if what Itachi said was the truth and if Sasuke killed Itachi, what was there for him to live for?

Robbed of his justice, robbed of his hatred, what could have kept him alive? Nothing. He would have died, and he was not ready yet; he was a coward.

"You see?" The mocking voice echoed in his head, his brother laughing at him, at his cowardice; he was right _yet again_.

"What do you want?" He gave up and simply asked, wishing with all his might that Itachi would just vanish.

"Me? Nothing. I was simply bored, little brother, so I thought I'd pay you a visit. I missed you." He said, tilting his head to the side with a worried expression, mocking him even further.

"Spare me of your crap!" Sasuke shouted, unable to control the shivers that were shaking his entire body now. "What do you want?" He asked again, stressing every word, trying to calm himself down.

"I want you to come with me. I have something planned for you."

"Make me." he simply growled, making his older sibling laugh in a way befitting of a maniac. He was thoroughly enjoying his little game; he liked to torture him.

"I will."

He took a step forward, then another one, rapidly closing the distance between the two of them. Sasuke's body finally gave up on trying to stand straight, he collapsed under his own trembling knees. He did not want to die. There was no other outcome to that situation. He either killed his brother or complied with his request, both meant dying to him; he was too weak to die.

He could feel Itachi's sadistic smile, spreading all over his face. He was enjoying that; he loved tormenting him. Memories flooded him, that night 2 years ago, the pain, the change, the sorrow of being turned into something inhumane, the agony of the burden he was now bearing. Ever since then, he had one wish: to see Itachi suffer just like he did, and ever since then he was too much of a coward to do anything but crawl on his hands and knees, trying to keep on living; his choices reflected that, he became a dog for the government, all just so he could live another day.

"Do you know, Sasuke, you have been blessed. There's no one like you; you are unique." He knew what his brother meant, but that was no gift.

He kneeled in front of his terrified body, still looking down on his pathetic attempt surviving; there was no place for dignity, just survival. He felt nothing, he saw nothing, he knew nothing; the world was cold and just one touch, one disgusting feeling made its way to him. Itachi's lips were roughly pressed against his own, curling into a smile underneath; slowly his tongue made its way in, moving inside his mouth with ease, just to retreat a second later.

Only after a while did Sasuke realize he had a pill in his mouth and was forced to swallow it. He started coughing in disgust; he wanted nothing more than to throw up, to erase the feeling of his brother's lips pressed against his own; It made him sick.

Without even noticing, he stood up and ran toward the window; Itachi did not stop him. He jumped, terrified of looking back; he jumped from the fifth floor, knowing his body could handle even more than that distance. Only when he was in the safety of the street did he stop to look back, to see Itachi watching him from the window, grinning.

"Not even that body of yours can handle that poison, I made it especially for you. You have three days to find me Sasuke. Hunt me; find me, or else…" He paused for a second to laugh and mock him and when he stopped his expression was deadly. "…You'll die."

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I wonder what will happen next? **Please review**, I always love to hear from you! It makes me want to keep writing!


	2. Chapter 2

**AU: **Hello, it's me again ( and I hope I managed to post this new chapter soon enough )! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it and please **REVIEW**! It's what fuels me to keep posting :).

Enjoy!

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Chapter 2: Hunting the hunter

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This world has never been a place for you and me; no, we belong somewhere else, far away from the cursed strings of this realm. No one could ever understand, we were and will always be mysteries to the people around us. We locked ourselves and our thoughts in a secure place, trying to hide the tainted desires and succeeding… mostly. We went through hell and back to keep our sanity and in the end it all came to nothing.

It all crumbled and fell the second we realized that we could see each other's soul; we were linked. No matter how hard we tried, we could never hide from each other. Maybe this is what they call twin souls, don't you think so, Sasuke?

The second I realized you could see right through me, I was sure. I was not wrong, nor were my desires; no, what was wrong was this world. This cruel place that kept me and you separated, forcing us apart, yet so painfully close. This joke of a world that toys with rules, bending them in ridiculous ways was not going to stop me from having you; so I did what I had in order change everything.

And now you hate me.

You hate me with such burning passion, more than anything and everything in the world. And I want you. More than anything in the world. It might seem weird to the people around, but then again, they can't ever understand. They would find it incomprehensible, unimaginable, that I would gratefully accept your hatred; that I'd long for it and embrace it.

They are shallow, blind to the heart, because in truth, love is not just one pure and noble feeling. Love is much more than that. It is envy, cruelty, joy, sadness, deception, hatred and so much, much more; but most of all, love is need; and _you _need _me_. And so do I.

You think I did not notice? The way you could not kill me, the way your hand trembled on your gun and the façade you struggled to keep. I know it all, little brother. I know you can't kill me because I am what keeps you alive, I am the reason you wake up, eat, sleep. I am the core of your existence and each breath you take, you take it for me.

So how could anyone argue that you don't love me? How could they say you are not mine? How could they not understand that in this world, there is no _you_ without _me._

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Nothing could change the world, the chaos; everyone noticed it and they just pretended to not see; they were cowards; so was Sasuke. It was the human nature to fear the unknown, the change, and the last years had been full of developments that seemed to belong to a sci-fi book, equally frightening and fascinating.

The medical technology knew radical changes and sooner than anyone would have expected, human augmentations were something natural. People despise the change, yet they reluctantly accepted something that promised to prolong their lives. Their organs and limbs could now be easily replaced with synthetic ones and thus their life span increased dramatically. They had no choice but to accept, after all, humans fear death even more than they fear the unknown.

At first the newly established medical system seemed perfect. People could not sustain improved body parts, therefore no one had to fear that one day someone would change enough body parts and in such a way that it would become a threat. Your new limbs could not do anything more than your old ones could; but like any other thing made by humans, this system had flaws in it.

They say that every rule knows of exceptions, and so it was. It did not take long for everyone to notice that there were some sort of people who, unlike the others, could sustain improved body parts, heavily influencing and enhancing their abilities. These people were feared, left out and ostracized and in the end that very same attitude led humanity to its biggest fear. These people turned against everyone else, started rioting and instilled fear everywhere around.

They were a threat and the only option the government had was to fight poison with poison, but finding people who could sustain such radical body changes were almost impossible to find and in the end a desperate solution came about.

They hunted those very people who were a threat and gave them a place, they allowed criminals to continue with their lives; the people who were once a taboo of the society were now becoming weapons for the sake of order, mere tools.

He was no different.

Sasuke looked at himself in the mirror, splashing his face with cold water again and again, hoping the events of the previous day would disappear; they did not.

He let himself slide down the wall, sighing heavily. He was too, nothing but a dog. His _gift_ of being able to support more than the normal type of augmentation was in truth nothing but a curse. The only thing he had ever wished for was a normal life, together with a family that was no more and in exchange he was turned into a monster by the one he adored the most. He had to bear the burden of choice while he was still sixteen, a child who knew nothing more but the options given to him: _"die because of what he did to you or become our weapon; hunt him, become the hunter"_.

He was too weak to choose to die; he still wanted something from his life. He wanted revenge, he wanted to be alive and although two years had passed since that loatheful night, he knew he was still the same frightened child.

That same fear of death, of disappearing came out to the surface of his soul the second he realized Itachi was not lying. The poison was slowly coursing through his veins, killing him with each passing second. He was terrified.

He stood up, cold sweat covering his trembling body despite the fact that he was feeling extremely hot. He looked back at the mirror and took a deep breath. In the end his cowardice led him to the bravest thing that he had done in those last two years. He packed his guns, grabbed his jacket and stormed outside the room, leaving his phone and everything else behind. He was going to find Itachi; he was going to live. His brother had robbed him of too much, the last thing he had was his life.

He wasn't sure where to find his brother, but he knew he was close, he could feel it. As much as he loathed to admit it, he always felt connected to Itachi. He already knew he would find him and that his brother would cure him, but that would come at a certain price; a price that Sasuke did not know.

He absently weighted the possibilities of what his brother might want from him, but to be honest, he did not really care. He knew he'd do anything that his sibling wanted in order to live, because there was nothing as lonely and cold as death.

Could anyone have blamed him? Could anyone have judged his choice? After all, he had admitted to being a weak, puny human being, unable to do anything but run and cling to his pitiful life. No one could judge him, because no one had felt what he had. After all, it's like they say:

_The full stomach cannot comprehend the evil of hunger..._

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Itachi had always been a man who adored the dramatic side of things, who loved to play with people's emotions and pour salt on the wound, so what better place for the two of them to meet than at their old house?

Sasuke was sure he would be waiting there, smiling discreetly and looking forward to his reaction and as he was getting closer to the old house, he could almost taste it in the back of his mouth; the bitter certainty that Itachi was there.

Was he relieved? Was he frustrated? He was not sure. On one hand, he was not going to die. On the other hand, he knew exactly what that murderer was thinking, he could think like him, breathe like him, see like him, so what did that make Sasuke?

He tried to think of nothing as he looked at the abandoned house in front of him, trying to shun the memories away; it was impossible. The waves of pain and suffering washed over him, but he was not going to show it. He approached the door, sliding it open. As soon as he laid foot inside, the familiar smell of the rooms invaded his nostrils and took control of his brain. Blood stained wooden floors, holding happy and illuminated memories locked underneath the dust and cracks. Even the slight breeze made Sasuke shiver, made him remember the screaming, the numbness, the agony and also the sweet words and joyful laughter of his long lost past.

He struggled to walk forward, through the mist of long lost happiness and memories and when he entered the living room he saw him. He was standing in front of the window, and in the empty room, illuminated only by the dim moonlight, he appeared almost surreal...

He casually held a glass full of some red liquid which, for what Sasuke knew, might as well have been wine or blood. He looked so serene. His eyes were only half opened and he was slowly humming a soothing song. Sasuke's heart started to ache, the pain numbed his every other sense and for a second he was mesmerized by the view in front of him. It took him his entire willpower to remember who the man in front of him was; not his beloved brother, but a murderer.

As he took one more step inside the room, Itachi turned his head to look at him, the same look of peace still engraved on his face; Sasuke wanted nothing more than to replace it with the sight of agony and tears of remorse.

"Welcome back, Sasuke." He chanted in a low voice, making every effort possible to bring the agony to a maximum.

"Cut this crap!" He almost shouted back, too frustrated to keep up the composed façade. "What do you want for that antidote? Do you want me to kill? Beg? What? There's nothing I haven't done before, so if you think you can make me even more miserable, you are wrong." He hissed through clenched teeth, taking large steps in the direction of his brother.

When they were just centimeters apart, Sasuke spread his hands, inviting Itachi to ask anything, anger oozing from his tensed body.

"You think your sadistic games can still shake me? Go ahead and try!"

Itachi simply chuckled, seemingly amused, an action that only served to further raise Sasuke's anger. In a matter of seconds, he was standing behind his younger sibling and his cold fingers sent painful shivers down Sasuke's spine. As he leaned in forward, closer to his ear, the younger sibling trembled in disgust and as soon as his hot breath reached his neck he wanted nothing more than to run away; as far as possible. He loathed the man.

"Don't be so angry, Sasuke. After all, it's been so long since we had the chance to be together. You know, I really _did_ miss you." His voice was tantalizing, but his low laughter felt mocking and bitter.

"Was I not clear enough?" This time Sasuke controlled each word, like he was talking to a naughty child. "I want that antidote; I am not here for your reunion. If you will not give it to me, I might as well just leave." He turned around and took a few steps towards the door, his black eyes throwing cold looks at his brother.

When he was in the door frame, he could hear Itachi's low sigh and immediately afterward, he could almost imagine the sly smirk that began to form on his lips.

"Very well, Sasuke. I will give you what you want."

This time, he turned to look at his sibling who was holding the glass in front of him. He waited for him to continue.

"This is the medicine you need, but before I give it to you, there's something I want you to listen to. Don't worry, I won't take long." He looked out the window before talking again, this time slower, as if he was only talking to himself. "I am bored; tired of this mascarade. I think I have endured it enough. I'll finally do what I have always wanted to do. I decided that I would wait for you, and I did. But I think it has been enough, right, Sasuke?" He did not really want an answer, so he just continued. "This boredom, this routine, everything, you'll change everything. But before that, you'll have to make another choice..."

He turned around to flash Sasuke a grin that not even the devil himself could equal. The pure malice emanating from his smile made Sasuke's hair stand on end and, before he could wake up from the eerie feeling that he felt, he saw his brother slowly bringing the glass close to his lips.

"What will you do, Sasuke?"

His velvet voice filled the room just as he took a sip from the glass and let the rest pour slowly on the ground. He did not swallow it,he just stared at Sasuke, daring him to take the antidote, right then and there, from his devilish lips.

Sasuke felt his breath blocked in his chest and his head started spinning. He felt sick and he tried in vain to swallow, cold sweat covering his palms. Apparently, Itachi could still torture him.

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So, that was it! I hope I made everything clear since I had so many things to consider when writing this chapter xD I hope it came out nicely. As always, please ** review **and** enjoy! **Have a great day!


	3. Chapter 3

**AU: **Hello everyone! As promised previously, I did update this in the end. So please **enjoy** and **review!**

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Chapter 3: Out of Reach!

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_What cannot be told, had better not be done._

Or so they say, but in truth no one ever listened. It's in the nature of humans to impose rules on themselves, just so that they can break those very same rules later on; this one is no different.

In truth, it'd make sense; not doing things that you would not dare to speak of, but then again, the forbidden fruit is always the sweetest. And because people know that, they make rules, so many rules that nowadays you can find something guilty to desire at any corner. Isn't that just great? At their core, humans know what they want, the thrill, the excitement of getting something that most of the others will never acquire, because the laws or morals forbid them to.

Itachi had always loved to study the others. Their pathetic struggle against their very own desires, the paradox between wanting something and at the same time completely rejecting that one thing because it was not right to desire it from the beginning.

Humans fight their need of possession long before they even understand it. Be it your friend's toy, your neighbor's car, a married woman or your little brother; they all come from the same place, one place that desperately needs those things but at the same time can not reject society's rules.

He had been there before as well. He had felt that same urge, yet he struggled to follow the rules, not because he cared about them, but because the people he loved did. But now everything was different. For him, those rules were nothing but shackles. Behind them lay nothing more than emptiness, sorrow and boredom. He did not care about them, and there was no one left to care for him.

So why would he keep himself from having fun?

* * *

The feeling of Sasuke's lips pressed against his own sent shivers down his spine.

It was nothing like any other previous experience. The reluctance of his little brother was wonderful; the denial was oozing through every one of his pores. He did not want that kiss, yet there he was, desperately sucking the red antidote out of Itachi's mouth.

It made Itachi's pulse rise, he felt the excitement and barely stopped himself from grinning. He felt alive. He felt like the most vicious predator, making his prey come to him and offer himself. He did not have to lift one finger to force a kiss on Sasuke, yet he knew that his little brother would have rather had it that way. He knew he hated the way he looked like, clinging to him, engaging in such and act, yet Itachi loved it more with every passing second. The torment in his eyes, the wetness of his lips and the red liquid dripping slightly down his chin made Sasuke worthy of all the guilty lust anyone could feel.

When he was done, he yanked himself away from the older sibling. He brought a hand to his mouth, constantly wiping it, like it could have erased the memories of the past days as well.

Itachi was still drunk with pleasure, immersed in his own victory, long after the kiss was done.

Seeing Sasuke's internal struggle lit a flame inside him, a flame that he had been quietly putting out the whole time. He was tired of holding back; he was tired of hiding his desires. He might have looked like a patient man, but Itachi was already sick with waiting. He was going to get his hands on what he wanted, he was going to play with whatever he wanted and he was going to enjoy every last bit of it.

After all, who said you couldn't enjoy tormenting the people you love?

* * *

Sasuke soon came to realize that wiping his mouth did nothing to cleanse his mind or soul. He felt torn apart, guilty. A guilt born out of his own cowardice. He was not strong enough to die, so he instead crawled back to Itachi, played his games and ended up like that.

Wiping his mouth did nothing to erase the weird feeling in his chest that he got when he felt Itachi's cold lips. He knew his body rejected the kiss with all its might, yet somewhere in his mind some other desires took over him, desires which he struggled to bury deeper and deeper.

He tried to breathe and calm down. It was over, he was not dead and all that happened could be partly forgotten. He closed his eyes, waited for a bit and then opened them, feeling a new sense of certainty taking over him. The nightmare was soon to end.

_This nightmare will never end._

Itachi's eyes were cold, yet a large grin had spread over his face. Sasuke could remember everytime he had been afraid of his brother, yet right then and there, he felt his blood run cold. It was nothing like before, when he was physically powerless and could not do anything to help himself. It was not like before, when Itachi looked expressionless and uncaring.

This time, it was different.

This time, Sasuke could feel his own consciousness screaming at him. He was not scared of pain, yet he was terrified of what that man if front of him could do to his mind. That man, standing in the moonlight, looking at him with eyes that did not allow him to move.

_This is not the end. This has no end._

Itachi slowly started moving, coming closer and closer, and although he wanted nothing more than to run away, he could not. His limbs were numb, his throat was sore. His head was spinning and he could not think straight.

When his brother was close enough that he could feel his breath, Sasuke was not entirely sure he understood what the other was saying. He was not sure he was even speaking the same language. The corners of his eyes became dark and blurry, and suddenly he could hear his own voice, coming from somewhere far away, screaming that there was not escape. There was no end, not until Itachi got bored of him.

_"That's right, Sasuke. But if I were you, I wouldn't bet on that."_

And then nothing.

* * *

As he was waking up, the memories of the previous day were slowly coming back to him. He felt disgusted at his own weakness, at his own guilt and he was trying to convince himself that it was just the effect of the poison Itachi had given to him.

He was reassuring himself of his own mental strength every passing second, building courage to open his eyes, yet when he did, he felt that same strength crumble.

He was in a foreign bed, wearing different clothes and his head felt heavier than the rest of his body. He looked around to see he was alone and at that point, he jumped out of the bed, ignoring the dizziness and discomfort. He tried to reassure himself that he was better now, when in truth he knew exactly what he was doing.

He was trying to run away, never to see Itachi again. He had no courage to face him, he did not trust that he could do it, so he opened the door as fast as he could and entered a long hallway. He did not care much for his surroundings, he had already forgotten how the room looked like, what color his shirt was. He did not know where to go, but he was sure that he couldn't have just remained there and wait. He was running away, from the very feelings that had drowned him the previous night, the same wicked feelings he could not accept or understand.

When he got to the only other door, his hands started shaking. He knew what to expect behind it and it scared him. He was not ready, he was sure of it, yet in a moment of crazy boldness, he pushed the handle down and entered the room.

It was dark, the kind of darkness that comes from having all the curtains close shut and just a slight red glow could pass through them. He had already forgotten if it was morning or noon, yet his eyes desperately scanned the room in search of his brother.

And there he was. Sitting on a long couch, with an empty bottle near him, laying with his hand over his face, smiling like the devil. Sasuke realized that he was now more aware of everything around him. He noticed the room, full of shelves and books, the red curtains and furniture. It all looked expensive and old, exquisite in a mysterious way.

He could notice Itachi's black shirt, unbuttoned to his chest, his white trousers and messy hair. Why was he suddenly noticing all those details? He had no idea. The only thing he knew was that he could not breathe. He was holding his breath in anticipation.

The slight shift in Itachi's position made him jump. His brother took his hand off his face and eyed him with curiosity, slowly standing up.

"Good morning, Sasuke" he said with a smile in his voice. He seemed drunk, intoxicated.

"What do you think you're doing?!" he found himself screaming. His voice sounded nothing like how he felt. He sounded angry, powerful, when in truth, he was simply confused and scared.

"Where the hell are we?" he continued, abusing his tone for as long as possible.

Itachi simply laughed and looked at him as if he was the last one to find out a devastating truth.

"Sasuke, you can't have possibly forgotten?" he said, coming closer, until the smell of wine could reach Sasuke. His hand moved to slightly touch his face, caressing it and then suddenly moving to his neck. "You're mine. You'll entertain me."

At that point, Sasuke's blood was boiling. His rage intoxicated him, pushing the fear and doubt away. He hit Itachi's face as hard as he could, throwing him on the ground, finally taking a deep breath again. He sighed in relief, yet his body froze once again as his brother's laughter filled the room. Sasuke watched in disbelief as Itachi was simply looking at him with the weirdest of looks, laughing uncontrollably with blood dripping from his lips and nose.

"You never disappoint me" he said when he finally calmed down and stood up. "I was right all along. You are the one."

"Cut the crap!" he screamed again, not knowing what else to do. "I swear this time I will kill you"

He soon came to realize that although he was screaming, Itachi was still looking at him with composed eyes, not the least bit intimidated by his rampage. As he was wiping the blood away, he once again came closer and closer to him, not caring about Sasuke's anger, nor being afraid of him. He was simply approaching him with a smile on his face and when he was in reach, he grabbed his brother's wrists.

"You can kill me anytime you want, Sasuke." He whispered, bringing his lips closer to his sibling's ear. "I am yours." He continued, taking his hands higher and higher until they reached his slender neck. "If you wish to end my life, I will not resist you. If you wish to hate me, I will not oppose you."

Sasuke was frozen in place. That was the moment that he had been waiting for. His brother was clearly inviting him to kill him, yet his hands wouldn't move. His body was heavy, his mind was blank. Why was he unable to take the life of the man that had destroyed his?

He could feel Itachi smiling, wider and wider with each passing second. He could feel him winning with every moment that passed and he was not doing anything, so he tried. He tried to move his trembling fingers, he tried to tighten his grip, yet nothing happened. He was sure his mind was in the same state as his body. Paralyzed, trembling and unguarded.

"You can kill me, but I know you need a reason… a reason not to do it. You can't kill me, Sasuke. Because the poison running through your veins will not go away so easily. There's no immediate antidote to it. You'll need another dose, and then another, for the next month. You need _me._" He continued, in a sweet, soft voice. His hot breath was running down Sasuke's spine, making him feel cold, numb.

"So you can kill me now and die with me… or you can stay here, with me, for the next month. You can be mine, you can surrender completely to your desires, you can stop caring about the outside world, the outside laws. Of course, when the month is over, you'll be free, you'll be able to forget everything that happened here."

His lips were grazing against his ear, moving down to his neck and Sasuke was starting to feel dizzy again. He couldn't really comprehend what Itachi was saying, but he was sure his body could.

"So, what will you do, little brother?"

Sasuke could feel Itachi's body distancing from his and suddenly they were not touching at all anymore, but Itachi was instead looking him straight in the eyes. His gaze was a weird mixture that Sasuke could not comprehend, yet he knew what the other was waiting for.

He wanted to know his answer, and that answer was unspeakable. There were no words to be told, so Sasuke unconsciously found himself doing the only thing he could do.

He was a coward. He wanted to live. He wanted to live so much that he agreed to his brother's cruel demand.

He could feel Itachi's smile under his own lips, he could feel the ecstasy his brother felt. He had won. His hands suddenly started moving towards Sasuke's back, holding him firmly in place, just as he felt his vision getting blurry again.

Itachi broke the kiss just as Sasuke started to fall deeper into the pit of darkness that had opened in front of him. He could not see anything, yet he could still hear Itachi talking to him.

"It's ok, Sasuke. You can do whatever you want, have whatever you want , in here, with me. You can say you hate me, and I'll always give you a reason to not act like it, because I know the truth and your own feelings better than you do."

At that point, Sasuke was sure he couldn't understand Itachi's words anymore.

* * *

**TBC:** Well, things are finally starting to move towards the action so please reading and **review!** Have a great day!


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